Studies in the Bible

being SAVED

A Christian college professor asked his doctoral students to complete a theological survey of congregations – They learned that many churches, over 56%, don’t know their church’s basic theological positions. They can neither summarize nor explain their church’s doctrine. There are many reasons why, and that brings me to this week’s blog.

Many people have asked me over the last few years, what “denomination” am I member of”. They are somewhat taken back when I answer, “I’m a fundamentalist! I don’t ‘belong’ to any “denomination”.

So what is a “fundamentalist”?

GOING BACK TO THE “BASICS”

The Huffington Post revealed its ignorance in an article that attempted to portray the President’s nominee for Army Secretary as some sort of Christion fundamentalist weirdo:

“Trump’s Army Pick: Looking at Victoria’s Secret Catalogs Can Turn

Men Into Saddam Hussein,”

…read a headline that was published.

RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM –

Over the past several years I’ve heard and read about attacks on the fundamentals of the Christian faith:

It was suggested in a recent television program that Mary, Jesus’ earthly mother, that Mary’s conception was the result of being raped by a Roman soldier. Such attacks aren’t new:

John 6:42 (NIV)

The said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we knew? How can He now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

Years ago it was reported that a certain Anglican priest expressed his view that Jesus didn’t die on the cross, rather, he merely ‘swooned’ or passed out then regained consciousness a few days later. After showing Himself to the apostles, he moved to Egypt and lived to a ripe old age.

Mark 15:44-45

Such attacks against the FUNDAMENTALS OF OUR FAITH must not be swept under the carpet.

Galatians 1:6 (NIV)

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and is turning to a different gospel–“

But more than that, we need to ‘repeat to ourselves’ over and over again the fundamental truths of the gospel so that we might remain fully convince and firmly established in the TRUTH.

Read carefully the instruction that God gave to the Israelites:

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NIV)

[6] These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. [7] Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. [8] Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. [9] Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 (NIV)

[18] Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. [19] Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

NOTE too, what the Apostle Peter wrote to Christians:

[Also read 2 Peter 3:1-2, 17; Proverbs 3:3]

FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS OF THE GOSPEL THAT NEED TO BE UNDERSTOOD:

Isaiah 58:12 (AMP)

[12] And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of [buildings that have laid waste for] many generations; you shall be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets to Dwell in.

#1. The Virgin Birth.

The record concerning Jesus’ birth:

What does the record say concerning the Birth of Jesus?

Luke 1:26-55

AND, in Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)

The facts presented by Luke and Matthew are clearly to the point. Mary was a virgin.

In case there might be any doubt, what is meant by the word ‘virgin,’ (some say it just means ‘young woman’), it’s clear from the text that it means ‘one who hasn’t had sexual intercourse’.

Matthew states that This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)

To deny the fact of the virgin birth is to deny that Jesus is the eternal Word of God who “was made flesh, and dwelt among us” as the Scriptures affirm.

AND…

AND…

“The first man [was] from out of earth, made of dust (earthly-minded); the second Man [is] the Lord from out of heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:47 – Amplified version).

DENY that Jesus is God’s one and only Son as the Scriptures affirm:

[Romans 8:3; Galatians 4:4; 1 John 4:9]

The Word of God says of those who DENY the fact of the Virgin Birth and that Jesus came in the flesh is plain:

They are not of God (1 John 4:2-3).

There are deceivers and an antichrist: 2 John 1:7 (NIV)

[7] I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

THE DEATH ON THE CROSS

The record of Jesus’ death on the cross:

What does the Bible say concerning Jesus’ CRUCIFIXION?

Acts 2:23 (AMP)

“This Jesus, when delivered up according to the definite and fixed purpose and settled plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and put out of the way [killing Him] by the hands of lawless and wicked men.”

The evidence presented by the evangelists are quite clear:

JESUS “gave up His spirit” (Matthew 27:50)

When the soldiers came to Jesus, they “saw that He was dead already” (John 19:33)

John also notes the fact of the soldier who pierced Jesus’ side with a spear (John 19:34)

To deny that Jesus died on the cross is to deny that Jesus has died for all our sins.

[Also READ: 1 Corinthians 15:3; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18; Romans 5:6]

To DENY that we have been RECONCILED. JUSTIFIED, then we are still alienated; separated from God’s mercy and grace.

Romans 5:10 (NIV)

“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

To DENY that Jesus tasted death for everyone, it means we must pay the price for our sins after all (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 2:9).

To DENY that the Devil has been rendered powerless! (Hebrews 2:14)

THE RESURRECTION

The record stated of the resurrection: (Matthew 28:1-10; John 20:1-31)

The RECORD clearly states that Jesus was raised from the dead (Matthew 28:5), and He appeared to His disciples (Matthew 28:8-9; John 20:14, 10).

The disciples saw and touched His wounds (John 20:20, 26-28)

To DENY the RESURRECTION is to…

Regarding Jesus:

Say that His soul was left in Hades and that death has dominion over Him, and the pains of death haven’t been loosed.

Acts 2:31 (NIV)

“Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that He was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did His body see decay…”

Romans 6:9 (NIV)

“For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.”

Acts 2:24 (NIV)

“But God raised him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.”

DENY THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD:

Romans 1:4 (AMP)

“And [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated the Son of God in power [in a striking triumphant and miraculous manner] by His resurrection from the dead, even Jesus Christ our Lord (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”

DEMY THAT JESUS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN and sat down at the right hand of the Father, and ruling from His throne:

Ephesians 1:20-21; Acts 2:30; Philippians 2:5-11

To say that Jesus will not return:

1 Thessalonians 1:10 (AMP)

“And [how you] look forward to and await the coming of His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead–Jesus, Who personally rescues and delivers us out of and from the wrath [bringing punishment] which is coming [upon the impenitent] and draws us to Himself [investing us with all the privileges and rewards of the new life in Christ, the Messiah].”

Regarding Us.

Say that everything we believe and hope is in vain and meaningless: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14).

We will not be resurrected:

Romans 8:11 (NIV)

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.”

And, we are not SAVED and still in our sins:

1 Peter 3:21.

Romans 10:9.

1 Corinthians 15:17.

Romans 4:25.

We have no hope:

1 Peter 1:3.

1 Peter 1:21.

The fundamentals of our faith are under attack from the very beginning to the present day, and they will, without a doubt, continue relentlessly until the end of time.

Philippians 3:1

Three of the fundamental doctrines that constantly come under attack are…

‘the virgin birth’

‘the death of Jesus on the cross’

And ‘the resurrection.’

To deny, modify these fundamental truths (the HEART of the Gospel) means denying the whole body of teaching surrounding the heart.

We need to constantly remind (READ) ourselves the FUNDAMENTALS of our Faith…the FOUNDATIONS of our Belief, and defend the faith delivered to the saints with the sword of the Spirit.

Like this:

With the recent news headlines regarding the lack of justice in the land and in the world, let’s face it. It’s frustrating! It seems that hardened criminals get off with just slaps on the wrists. I can’t stand the lack of consequences being dealt out for evil behavior.

While injustice in our country and the world abounds, my spirit rises when I ponder the Word of God when it clearly communicates that the wicked will not go unpunished. As the Day of the LORD approaches, The Avenger of all the earth ensures that the wicked are done away with and justice is done.

In the last several weeks I’ve been reading and studying in THE BOOK Of Jeremiah, learning that because of the people’s constant sinning against the LORD, the Jews of Jeremiah’s day received what they deserved–the JUDGEMENT of the LORD.

God didn’t let them get away with rebellion against Him.

The people who God used to carry out His judgment were the Babylonians.

However, the tactics and methods of the Babylonians were absolutely unconscionable and brutal. That gave rise to the question, which Jeremiah anticipates in the two chapters referenced:

“Will the Babylonians be punished for their evil deeds? Will justice be done?”

And the answer given of Jeremiah50-51 is “Yes, the Babylonians are going to be punished for the evil they commit against you. The destroyer is going to be destroyed. Babylon is going to fall and not rise again.”

And for the Jews, Jeremiah50-51 held a great comfort:

The Babylonians were not going to get away with their evil deeds.

The Jewish nation was going to survive. God was going to redeem them in the land of captivity and return them to their homeland and be their God.

God’s JUSTICE…Is the fact that God will not let the wicked go unpunished.

But before we can have an understanding of God’s commitment to JUSTICE, we need to learn and understand about His vengeance and the anger that is aroused in Him by a person or nations in disobedience.

Jeremiah 50:15

Jeremiah speaks of the city of Babylon as an act of vengeance by the LORD:

Jeremiah speaks of how the time has come to be punished and how God was going to take vengeance on the Babylonians for what they had done to His Temple:

Jeremiah 50:27-31 (AMP)

[27] Slay all her bullocks (her choice youths, the strength of her army); let them go down to the slaughter! Woe to [the Chaldeans]! For their day has come, the time of their visitation (their inspection and punishment).

[28] Listen! The voice of those [Jews] who flee and escape out of the land of Babylon proclaiming in Zion the vengeance [of the Lord upon the Chaldeans] for [the plundering and destruction of] His temple.

[29] Call together [many] archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp against her round about; let none from there escape. Recompense her according to her deeds; just as she has done, do to her. For against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel, has she been proudly defiant and presumptuous.

[30] Therefore shall her young men fall in her streets and squares, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed on that day, says the Lord. [31] Behold, I am against you, O Babylon [you who are pride and presumption personified], says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, for your day has come, the time when I will visit and punish you.

Jeremiah’s prophecy of the destruction of Babylon was 170 years before its fulfillment.

In verse 29, God’s intent was to repay Babylon for her rebellion against Him. Like things are said in Jeremiah 51:6; 51:11; 51:13; 51:24; and 51:36.

One of God’s Attributes: GOD IS A GOD OF VENGEANCE!

For some of us, the idea that God is a vengeful God just doesn’t seem right. Yet in Deuteronomy 32:35 and Romans 12:19we read: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay”

And in Romans 12:19,

So what is the vengeance of God about? —justice, retribution, punishment, payback, balancing the scales of right and wrong, righteous and holy anger. It’s God’s response to SIN AND REBELLION. Vengeance and the punishment of the wicked is God’s right and His duty. In fact, if God can’t be true to His character of holiness and justice and if He allows SIN AND REBELLION to go unpunished…and if justice is to mean anything, then rebellion, lawbreaking, disobedience, arrogance, and all evil acts necessitate punishment. God cannot and will not let the wicked go unpunished.

As Nahum 1:3 says, “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished…”.

Proverbs 11:21 also says “Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.”

Just so I don’t leave you with an inaccurate view of God, we need to understand that the Bible balances the fury of God’s vengeance against the sinner with the greatness of His mercy on those who repent of their wicked ways. This includes the nations of the world as well.

Our God is incredibly merciful!

InPsalm 116:5 it says, “The LORD is gracious and righteous, our God is full of compassion.”

In 2 Peter 3:9 says “The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.” [AMP]

For in Jesus and the Cross, the full expression of God’s MERCY and GRACE is made available for us–for in the CROSS and the shed BLOOD of Jesus, the perfect sacrifice for sin, the remedy for our sin and the judgment of God we all deserve.

As the time came for Babylon to be punished and experience God’s wrath against her, so the time approaches for the people in our day to experience the same.

Without a doubt, the Day of Judgment approaches.

In Hebrews 10:30-31, it says “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” [31] It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

And again in 2 Peter 3:10 it says, But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish (pass away) with a tremendous crash, and the [material] elements [of the universe] will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up. [AMP]

There’s a reason for this happening:

BECAUSE of the wickedness of mankind.

BECAUSE OF OUR SIN.

BECAUSE of peoples refusal to live as God requires us to.

BECAUSE the justice and righteousness of God demands that sin and rebellion be punished.

While the great Day of Judgment approaches, the Bible also teaches us that after we die and face judgment, each one will appear before the LORD and give an account–and to Heaven or Hell one will go for all eternity.

I know, most pulpits today are not preaching this. And why? “People that come through our doors don’t want to hear negative sermons,” as it’s been noted in churches across the land.

Here is something to note: The one who will judge, the one who determines where one’s eternity will be spent…IS JESUS!

John 5:22-23 records Jesus saying,

TWO THINGS as it pertains to the coming Day of Judgment:

For most, the Day of Judgment will be a terrible day for them–for they will experience the LORD’S hand against them.

For the few righteous, the children of God, a glorious day, the Day of the Lord shall be!

For all the saints a day of celebration and praise will take place. Along with the angels of Heaven who will declare “True and just are your judgments O Lord.” [SeeRevelation 16:7,and noteJeremiah 51:48.]

The Required Preparation for the Day of the Lord.

The only way to be prepared is to be right with God. The only way to escape the coming JUDGMENT is to be at peace with God.

The only way to be right with God is to be a follower of Jesus. As Jesus says in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

The only way to have peace with God is to humble ourselves before Him, confessing our sin, mourning over it, and embracing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

THE GLORIOUS NEWS OF THE SCRIPTURE–

For those who are right with God–meaning they’re disciples of Christ on the Day of Judgment–they shall not experience condemnation of God.

Romans 8:1 (NIV) says, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

As the angel of death passed over the houses of the Jews and the blood of the lambs spread on their doorposts, so the destruction of the Lord will pass over all those identified and spiritually marked with the shed blood of Jesus–the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.

VENGEANCE IS GOD’S BUSINESS, NOT OURS!

Like the ancient Hebrews, many Christians have misapplied the doctrine of divine vengeance using it as an excuse for holding on to the “getting even” against others. Jesus has clearly spoken out against this:

Likewise in Romans 12:17-21 the Apostle Paul by the Spirit of God, commands us saying,

Since VENGEANCE and REPAYING EVIL is God’s domain, we need to ask:

Is there someone you are holding a grudge against in the present, or in the past?

Is there someone in your life who you would like to get even with?

If you are struggling with a grudge, with unforgiveness, and with a retaliation spirit, then confess it now and ask the Lord to forgive you and to give you the mind of Christ, which is LOVE for your enemies, to turn the other cheek, to forgive those who trespassed against you.

As much as I or you hate injustice in our society and wrong sinful behavior, God hates it 1000 times more.

GOD HAS MADE A PROMISE:

He will not let the wicked go unpunished,

His HOLINESS AND COMMITMENT to justice demands this.

The only way to escape the AVENGER’S wrath is to flee to Jesus Christ who took upon Himself the punishment for sin that you and I deserve.

On the CROSS He endured the wrath of God for our sins and that whoever should believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The more injustice and evil abound, the greater the comfort comes from this doctrine we have looked at in this study will be to us.

While our God is a God of vengeance, an AVENGER, we need to remember it’s held in the perfect balance of His rich and undeserved mercy (1 Thessalonians 4:6).

VENGEANCE IS GOD’S BUSINESS, NOT OURS

We need to learn to turn the other cheek and to wait upon the Lord–for He will AVENGE the wicked–they will not go unpunished.

Paul speaks from experience that there are events that follow our physical death. The burden is to prepare us, not for DEATH, but for the events that occur between your dying and your final destination.

WHAT DOES THE WORD OF GOD SAY ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF DEATH AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (NIV)

[2] I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know–God knows.

[3] And I know that this man–whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows– [4] was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

At death, we sometimes expect great pain, but Jesus says there is none.

One of God’s best spokesmen said, knowing that the home we live in on earth is like a “tent” and is destroyed or dissolved at death, and we have a building, a house, that God is building, an eternal house not made with hands. [2 Corinthians 5:1]

So you won’t stay around and “haunt” anything after death!

We are conscious after death (2 Corinthians 12:2 (b). ).

Although Paul’s related experience isn’t from his DEATH, most probably from a near-death experience fourteen years earlier. In Acts 7:55-56, we read of Stephen’s reaction to his soon to be death from stoning:

[55] But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. [56] “Look.” he said, “I see haven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” [NIV]

I want you to know that not only are we conscious after we die, but we are even more conscious!

Here are some arguments from Paul as to why we are more conscious than before.

He saw, heard and experienced amazing things.

His mental ability was so acute that he was able to compare this new life with what he just left.

His new consciousness knew things from his former one that he couldn’t communicate.

Something in this place of existence in the third heaven forbade him to tell what he saw.

We stand before God and face judgment

Hebrews 9:27 says we are ALL “appointed once to die and after that the [certain] judgment (AMP),

There are several judgments mentioned in the Bible and I don’t want to take a detour here, so I’ll leave it at that. When you die, you are judged, The names of all the judgments I’ll leave for another blog study.

When you die your eternal fate is forever sealed (Luke 16:19-31).

In this parable told by Jesus, two men died and already at their eternal destinations. One was in a bad place and one in a good place. The one in the bad place prayed and asked God to let him leave from the bad place and go to the good one. God informed him that it was impossible for a great wall had been fixed.

Those who have placed their FAITH & TRUST in Jesus will never be away from His presence.

Romans 8:38, 39 (NIV) – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

UNIQUELY TOUCHED

Paul has told us this incident he describes in 2 Corinthians 12, shows that he had been uniquely touched by God. Through his vision, we learned that PARADISE isn’t a shadowy waiting-room, but the euphoric place of unspeakable glory! Its GLORY is that of the ultimate heavenly glory, which is the glory of the Presence of the Son of God (Rev. 1:9 ff, 22:1 ff).

Therein PARADISE, the Third Heaven, the souls of the saints (Christians) are home with Christ, the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), where they’re beyond the reach of sin. Without fear of being driven out as happened in the first Paradise. There they await the crowning consummation of their redemption, the union of souls and their resurrection body when the New Heaven and the New Earth will be introduced and all of God’s purposes in creation complete and eternally fulfilled.

In this TWO PART SERIES, there’s something I want to leave with my readers:

The LAST ENEMY to be destroyed is DEATH (1 Corinthians 15:26).

The 23rd Psalm

THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. [2] He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. [Rev. 7:17.] [3] He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him–not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake. [4] Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. [5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over. [6] Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days, the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place. [AMP]

There’s also something I want you to do:

Never again FEAR DEATH if you’re a committed Christ follower. If you are not yet a follower make it ASAP.

I was reading an article the other day which prompted me to begin this study in Hebrews 6, believe it or not. The article was entitled “Reasons why millennials are walking away from their faith,” by Stacia Hall.

The statistics show that 65% of them would not consider themselves to be religious. This is a huge number, but when you’re talking about a cause-driven generation, who is very focused on community and are actually finding it both online and in person, you can see how the purpose of the church and God’s Word would be less necessary. Being a grandparent, trust me, I’ve noticed.

But the statistics don’t end there.

32% of them say they actually don’t believe in God’s existence. 1/3 of people between the ages of 18-30 don’t believe that God is, that He exists, that He started it all. [See footnote [i] ]

Worse, many who at one time said they believed, and now don’t. And let’s not just point fingers at the “millennials”. Many people today from all generations are walking away from Christ.

Many are compliant but unconverted. Some may come to Christ later.

Many of those are not denying that Jesus is the Son of God, they just don’t care! Some have become enemies of the Gospel or embraced false religions.

Others just numb, deliberate rejection.

That was the question the Messianic Jews had when they saw and heard their peers trashing Jesus and returning to mainstream Judaism. We call this APOSTASY and shouldn’t be confused with falling into sin. A lot of evangelical Christians, as many of us like to call ourselves, based on group dynamics, are a lot like the ancient Hebrews who followed Moses. It was the thing to do.

Most of us agree I think, that someone whose FAITH & TRUST are not in Jesus is lost.

But what if they once professed the faith that they now deny? What happened? Were they SAVED then lost their salvation, or were they never really SAVED? I believe the later.

In one sense, it doesn’t matter they are lost. In another sense, it does matter, because if God ELECTS people to salvation, is God really in control here? Is His SOVEREIGNTY broken?

We can anticipate knowing people who once claimed to be followers of Christ but later in life decided to disavow Him.

I’ve asked myself the question regarding a few members of my own family. How could this have happened?

THE HISTORY LESSON ~

The lesson I’ve chosen for this study is built upon The Rejection of the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14).

Most of the Hebrews were skeptics, even though they were ENLIGHTENED by God’s Word. However, their commitment to Yahweh was flimsy, with reservation, not final, unreserved, and genuine. It could have been a case of group dynamics and being overwhelmed. Sound familiar?

They had seen God’s Power in miracle after miracle on their journey to the Promised Land. Yet, in their hearts, they wanted to return to Egypt and worship the gods of Egypt.

The twelve spies were sent out to preview Canaan and then sorted out its challenges in two opposite ways.

They tasted the amazing produce of Canaan, including the giant grapes.

The people refused to believe God and honor His Word.

They couldn’t backtrack: too late. So because of their ‘stiff-necks’ and their unbelief, they suffered God’s judgment [Numbers 14:32-37]: Wandering 40 years in the wilderness until they dropped dead.

And their problem?

They didn’t actually Trust God’s character?

The same principle applies to those who have professed faith in Jesus to later reject Him.

Hebrews 6:4-12 (NIV Bible)

[4] If it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, [5] who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the [powers of the coming age, [6] if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

[7] Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. [8] But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end, it will be burned.

[9] Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case–things that accommodate salvation. [10] God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. [11] We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. [12] We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Applying this passage of Scripture to the people who professed their FAITH in Christ Jesus only to later REJECT Him is drawing parallels in some sense.

If you spend some time in the Book of Numbers account, it’s obvious that many or most of the Hebrews were not right with God, at least that first generation. It’s not like they were ‘godly’ and then fell away. They went along with Moses (sometimes), but did they take ownership of their relationship with the Lord? No, they didn’t! And this understanding is crucial.

Why has REPENTANCE become impossible?

It’s not that God won’t accept repentance, it’s, rather, that it’s impossible for these mentioned here to repent; they have crossed a boundary. An expression I love to use in this regard is “You cannot put an impression on concrete once it’s dry.”

They had been ENLIGHTENED with the Gospel.

The Hebrews were enlightened by a pillar of fire/the Torah.

The Hebrews sampled the grapes, this sampled SALVATION.

They have tasted the produce of the HEAVENLY Canaan. They haven’t entered the land and the rest that goes with it.

They have seen God’s POWER through the Holy Spirit in their lives and yet they desired to return to their previous religious status forsaking their inheritance that God had promised. It’s one thing to doubt and it’s another thing to backslide. And yet another to deny and reject Jesus!

They changed their INTERPRETATION of the Cross in unbelief and in their unbelief they’re agreeing with those who nailed Jesus to the cross. If Jesus was a false teacher and a fake, then death was the appropriate penalty.

They cannot BACKTRACK and now accept the Messiah; too late!

Look closely at Peter’s words:

“wallowing in the mire” – Def. deep mud; wet, spongy earth. To soil with mud or foul matter; to stick in a mire.

I was about 16 months in this old photo, but looking at my expression, I didn’t seem to be enjoying the “mire”.

At this point in the study, to correctly interpret any Scripture, we must know the basic rules of interpretation.

The FIRST RULE is to interpret Scripture in the context of the Entire Bible.

Secondly, we are to interpret in context with the Immediate Passage; we need to know the purpose of the letter or book that the text is written by looking at the verses immediately around our text, then interpret with the things as a backdrop for our interpretation.

And THIRDLY, we need to interpret Scripture using other Scripture. Scripture isn’t going to contradict itself!

Finally, we want to interpret Scripture that is less clear with Scripture that is more clear. So in this study, I have tried to use these principles in interpretation.

The verses in the first part of our passage of Scripture have been some of the most challenging for Christians throughout the centuries to interpret and taken by themselves, can seem to indicate that if you are a Christian and turn away from Christ, you can lose your salvation and there’s no hope of you ever being saved again.

THAT’S NOT WHAT IT’S SAYING AT ALL.

Verse4 and 5says it is impossible for those who have been once for all enlightened, who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and have become a sharer of the Holy Spirit, and have felt how good the Word of God is and the mighty powers of the age and world to come [AMP].

That certainly could be a Christian, but then the author goes on to say if they fall away, it would be impossible for them to be brought back to a place of repentance.

So, when trying to understand this in light of the context of the Bible, it would seem to contradict other Scriptures that say otherwise, because the Bible as a whole, teaches that Salvation is by Grace and Guaranteed to believers by God.

It teaches that a TRUE BELIEVER is eternally secure in their SALVATION when they have truly believed. We’ll explore this in greater detail in Part Two of this study.

Ephesians 1:13-14

When a person has truly believed they are given the Holy Spirit–and God says through Paul that the indwelling Holy Spirit in a person’s life becomes a deposit that guarantees our salvation.

Like many things in the bible, this story, the longest chapter in the Book of Genesis, has a two-fold meaning. Just like a PARABLE has a physical application and a spiritual application (Sower and the seed, prodigal son, the parable of the lost sheep…). I believe each person in this story represents something, a picture of something, a symbol of something! So together, let’s investigate and see what these individuals are depicting.

GENESIS, Chapter 24, is the story of the SERVANT of Abraham.

The SERVANT is searching for the perfect bride for his Master’s Son, Isaac. The story serves as a great illustration of God’s LOVE.

In this story within a story, Abraham represents God the Father.

Isaac represents God the Son.

The servant represents God the Holy Spirit.

Rebeka represents the Church, the bride of Christ

Camels – Represents GRACE, or a better description is a picture or image of Grace.

Brothers and the Mother – Represents the world or a picture/image of the WORLD.

What is Jesus looking for? What kind of expectations does Jesus have for His Church?

Christ’s Bride consists of those who are the household of Faith–THE CHURCH.

Genesis 24:1-4 (NIV)

[1] Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. [2] He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh. [3] I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, [4] but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”

The Canaanites were idol worshippers.

In Genesis12, God gives Abraham a PROMISE:

Genesis 12:1-2 (AMP)

[1]NOW [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, “Go for yourself [for your advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

[2] And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].”

So Abraham left his homeland in Ur and settled in Canaan.

Genesis 12:7

[7] Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your posterity.” So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, Who had appeared to him.

Abraham doesn’t want his Son to marry one of the heathen Canaanite women.

Abraham was a man of great faith. He’s getting old and wants to be sure that the FAITH he has will continue on in his family.

Abraham knows his son Isaac will take on the responsibility of maintaining faith in God and His promises. He knows a Canaanite woman could be a bad influence on his son, so he asks his servant to return to his homeland. While there, he is to find a young woman of faith to become the wife of his Son.

There’s a Biblical principle to be found here that is often ignored.

Amos 3:3 – Can two walk together, except they are agreed?

2 Corinthians 6:14 – Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

How could God have made it any easier to understand? CHRISTIANS SHOULDN’T MARRY UNSAVED PEOPLE.

It may eventually work out O.K… However, it usually doesn’t.

Abraham doesn’t want that to happen to his son, Isaac. Likewise, we shouldn’t want it to happen to our children or grandchildren.

Christ’s Bride consists of those who are willing to commit their lives to Him.

Abraham knows Isaac must remain in Canaan to fulfill God’s PROMISE.

The SERVANT took a VOW to find a BRIDE for his Master’s Son. But if the young woman was unwanting to return with him to the promised land, he would then be free from the vow. Abraham didn’t want a ‘shotgun wedding’ for his son, Isaac.

And so it is with God the Father. God wants us to come to Jesus of our own free will. If a person doesn’t want to be SAVED, and rather choose Hell over Heaven, that’s their choice.

The Bride of Christ consists of those who are God picked [Genesis 24:7].

[7] “The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, “To your offspring I will give this land–he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.”

God told Abraham He would send an angel ahead of his servant and the ANGEL would help the servant make the choice.

Maybe I should stop here for a moment to clarify something. There are TWO theologies that come into play regarding the predestination of man. In other words, when a person is born, God has already determined how he or she will live his life, whether or not he or she will be SAVED or LOST.

Some people like me, believe in the FREEWILL of man. Everyone born into this world is allowed by God to make his or her own choice. In other words, we are not puppets on a string with God pulling the ropes. And we are not actors on a stage acting out a pre-written script.

The TWO theologies seem miles apart. However, in this Bible story, I find both theologies at work. God is doing the directing and the choosing, but Rebekah has to be willing to come!

Luke 6:13 says, When morning came, he (Jesus) called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.

Though Jesus chose 12 men, each one had a CHOICE to make. They could surrender their lives and follow Jesus, or reject Him and go on living lives as they pleased. I thought about this for a while and asked myself, “How does this apply to us today?”

Proverbs 1:27-29

So, back to the representations I mentioned:

Abraham represents God the Father.

Isaac represents Jesus.

The servant represents the Holy Spirit.

Rebekah represents the Church.

The Holy Spirit speaks to the hearts of the unsaved.

Though the Word of God is certainly found in our bibles, the Holy Spirit CONVICTS us of our sin. The Holy Spirit leads us to accept Jesus as our Savior. When we do that, we become part of the Bride of Christ.

Now catch the words in VERSE 10: “Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and left…”

Why take 10 camels, I wondered?

“…taking with him all kinds of good things from his master.”

[I’ll get to the CAMELS a bit later].

The SERVANT arrives in the city of Nahor [Nahor was Abraham’s brother] and he made the camels kneel down by a well in the evening.

The Servant’s PRAYER (verses 12-14):

[12] “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. [13] See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. [14] May it be that when I say to a girl. ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I’ll water your camels too’– let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this, I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

Look how quickly this prayer is answered!

[15] Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.

The Bride of Christ consists of those who are attractive (Genesis 24:16).

REBEKAH was beautiful! She could have easily won a beauty contest of her day.

Now don’t get the wrong idea here. God does look at the heart! Jesus often criticised religious leaders putting on a big show in public (Matthew 23:27-30).

But outward appearance means something! The Bible isn’t ashamed to tell us that Isaac’s bride to be was beautiful, So was Abraham’s wife, Sarah. It isn’t sinful to look nice! Outward appearance does make a difference.

But taking this beyond our physical appearances, what about what other people see in us?

God wants us to be good examples. He doesn’t want us to live in such a way that we bring shame on the name, Christian! Jesus wants us to live lives that are attractive to others.

Matthew 5:16 (AMP)

“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.”

The Bride of Christ consists of those who are diligent–hardworking [Genesis 24:17-21].

.

Not only did Rebekah give the SERVANT a drink of water, but proceeded to water 10 Camels. It’s said that one camel can drink 30 gallons of water.

I particularly noticed something about Rebekah that she went well beyond do what was asked of her…He asked for a drink for himself, and she did that and watered the CAMELS!

The Holy Spirit is always looking for people who will go beyond what they are asked to do!

Genesis 24:22 (NIV)

[22] When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.

The SERVANT rewards her for her services, for her kindness, but he hasn’t yet told her why he’s there! Interesting!

That’s important. Think of all the times God blessed you, protected you…BEFORE you became a Christian. For me, it was thirty years before I came to Christ’s calling.

Watching Camels drink can’t be a pretty sight.

I searched out some interesting facts about a CAMEL. A Camel has a set of 3 eyelids. Two of the eyelids have eyelashes to help protect their eyes from the sand. The third is a very thin lid and works as a sort of “windshield wipers” to clean their eyes. It closes/opens from side to side rather than up and down. It’s also thin enough that the Camels can see through it somewhat.

CAMELS can carry an average of 1000 pounds for long distances. They also have leathery pads on their feet that spread to prevent them from sinking in the sand. [ SEE footnote [i].]

GRACE can see through obstacles, carry us thru storms, no matter if we feel like the weight of the world is upon our shoulders. GRACE CAN CARRY US THRU THE WILDERNESS!

Look what Jesus said inMark 9:41 (NET Bible)

“For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ’s name will never lose his reward.”

Jesus is talking about those who are His disciples and those who aren’t. It’s so much more than just handing out cups of water! It’s about helping those in need. It’s about working hard to help others.

In GENESIS 24, look closely at verse 61: Then Rebekah and her maids got ready and mounted their camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

Here’s the highlight, I believe, of the story within the story.

As Rebekah was watering the CAMELS, she had to notice that each Camel was loaded down with expensive GIFTS. She must have noticed that the SERVANT was no beggar. This SERVANT was a man of means. EVERYTHING piled on the backs of those Camels would one day become hers!

AND, let’s not forget Rebekah’s Brother and Mother who represents the WORLD – Genesis 24:55 (AMP)

[55]But [Rebekah’s] brother and mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days–at least ten; then she may go.”

There’s always going to be people in your life who will try to hinder you and discourage you or delay you in following God. Maybe your running buddy, your friends, maybe your co-worker, it might even be your family.

It’s still your CHOICE to make!

So would become the BRIDE of Isaac!

On her way to her new homeland in the Promised Land, she would be perched up on top of all those riches!

The symbolism portrayed here is a person surrounding their life to Jesus through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 24:62-67 (NIV)

[62] Now Isaac had come from Beer-La-hai Roi, for he was living in the Negev.

[63] He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.

[64] Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel [65] and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

[66] Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done.

[67] Isaac brought her int the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

As the BRIDE of Christ, we too are promised untold riches:

Ephesians 1:18

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints”

Ephesians 2:7

“…in the coming ages, He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Crist Jesus.

Ephesians 3:16

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being.”

Philippians 4:19

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Who Will Jesus Take As His Bride?

The BRIDE of Christ

HAVE YOU BEEN SAVED?

Take pleasure in knowing if you are a true believer–that Jesus is your Savior and that riches are yours!

If you are reading this Blog-Study and you are NOT SAVED, or insure of your SALVATION, your eternal security, then you can do it today!

Are you afraid of letting go, letting God make the CHOICES in your life? Remember that Rebekah was God’s perfect choice for the bride of Isaac. God loves you. If you rely on His WISDOM, you’ll never regret the CHOICES He makes for your life!

Do you know someone who isn’t SAVED?

Be like the SERVANT and do what you can to bring them to Christ Jesus by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Understand that unlike Rebekah, some will refuse to give themselves to Jesus. But at least make an effort to reach out your hand and lead them to Jesus!

I first heard this song on the car radio the year after my wife and I were married, in 1965. I was struck by the question in the lyric, “Sinner Man, Where You Gonna Run To?” I discovered later that the song originated from an African American spiritual song that had been recorded by a number of performers (Bob Marley, Peter, Paul and Mary, Les Baxter and more).

The lyrics go on telling the story with…He [the sinner man] runs to the rock, to the sea, to the Lord and ultimately to Satan because he comes face to face with the wrath of God and he’s so frightened he’s looking for ANY way to avoid God’s anger. But there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide because he had rejected God for so long there was no longer hope.

I thought to myself, now where would the writer for this old spiritual song get his idea?

Right here in Revelation 6.

That’s pretty scary stuff!

These SINNERS are running from God. They’re RUNNING from the wrath of the Lamb.

In my reading of John’s words here, something just didn’t seem to correlate with my knowledge of the bible. John 3:16 tells us that “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

And Jesus spent His time among the tax collectors, and the prostitutes and the SINNERS.

Over and over again we read throughout the New Testament hearing the message repeated and it all seems to be summed up in 2 Peter 3:9. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to yo repentance.”

BUT in our passage in RevelationChapter6, we have sinners running from the Wrath of the Lamb. They are running from the wrath of the very One who died for them. What’s going on here?

After re-reading and meditating on the previous verses in the chapter, the answer is found in verses 9 thru 10:

I see two things in play here. 1st – the scene here shows God’s vengeance on mankind. As Hebrews 10:30 tells us and we know Him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.”

The major focus in Revelation6 is GOD’S JUDGMENT on those who’ve persecuted and slain His people in the name of His Son Jesus.

Jesus, while on this earth, told us what was going to happen when He said “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.” (Luke 6:22).

AND Luke 21:17 – “And you will be hated (despised) by everyone because [you bear] My name and for its sake.” [AMP]

John wrote in 1 John 3:13 – “Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.”

DID IT HAPPEN?

Yes! Within the first 3 years of the EARLY church’s existence.

The Apostle James was executed.

Peter was thrown into prison.

Philip was stoned to death.

And a man named Saul had Christians arrested, jailed, beaten and even killed.

And that was just the beginning.

Down through the ages Christians have been murdered and tortured for their FAITH.

In my research, for this study, I came across some statistics that shocked me. [See Footnote [i].]

And this isn’t a new situation for BELIEVERS. Christians have been suffering and dying for their FAITH for centuries!

And Jesus’ Revelation to John is telling us that God knew this would happen and it made Him angry.

And He was so angry that He said: “Vengence is Mine”.

You REALLY don’t want to be on the receiving end of that kind of anger.

Paul wrote: “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you” (2 Thessalonians 1:6).

I literally feel sorry for the people who try to harm God’s people because I know the truth of Revelation6. You don’t mess with God’s people!

Hebrews10:31tells us “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

So the 1st thing I see in Revelation 6 is THIS:

God will bring JUDGMENT on those who hurt His people.

But there is something else here that I almost missed:

God’s JUDGMENT isn’t just about VENGEANCE, it’s ALSO about reaching out to the lost!

In the Youtube video presentation at the beginning of this Blog, listen to this verse:

RUN TO THE LORD

“Lord, won’t you hide me?”

RUN TO THE LORD

“Lord, won’t you hide me?”

RUN TO THE LORD.

“Lord, won’t you hide me?”

“And the Lord said ‘sinner man’ – you shoulda been prayin.”

Do you know what this verse is saying?

It’s saying, it’s too late Sinner Man…you shoulda been a prayin! BUT you didn’t, so don’t bother me. You’ve messed up big time and now there’s no hope.

I have a real problem with that thinking.

Isaiah 55:7 – “Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

As Long as the wicked are willing to REPENT…God will forgive.

That’s the MESSAGE throughout Scripture.

Hebrews 9:27 tells us “And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment” [AMP].

But these guys (in Revelation 6) aren’t dead yet! Until they die they still have the opportunity to REPENT.

And besides, it doesn’t say that the “Sinners” were appealing to God. These folks weren’t running TO Jesus…they were running AWAY from Him.

Revelation 6:15-16 says they “hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains”

These folks aren’t appealing to God to hide them, they“called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne’.”

They were calling on the rocks and Mountains to fall on them and protect them.

I remember growing up in a home where the punishment my folks dealt out to my brother and I definitely got our attention. So much so, that even a slight look of dissatisfaction was all that was needed.

And there are times in Scripture where God disciplined entire nations in order to get their attention to REPENT–“turnfrom their wicked ways” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Psalm 32:4, we see David speaking about how God dealt with him after he had sinned with Bathsheba. He wrote: “For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me…” (AMP).

It was a repeated theme throughout the Old Testament. God would slap the people in order to wake them UP!

And God hasn’t changed. He’s still working on sinners NOW as He did back then.

One of my favorite bible verses is where Jesus says:

What does Jesus mean when He says the Holy Spirit (“the Helper”) will CONVICT?

It means that someone has been convicted of their GUILT.

It means to make a person FEEL their Guilt.

AND that’s the Spirit’s job–to CONVICT people of their SIN.

CONVINCE them of the need of RIGHTEOUSNESS and remind them of the coming judgment.

Now, how’s the Holy Spirit going to do that?

As my mother would try to explain when I was a child: “That small voice inside of you will make you very uncomfortable, Mel, when you are doing something you shouldn’t.”

Being AWARE…

Being aware of what the Spirit of the Lord is trying to get your attention for.

Be open to receiving His correction and what He is showing you that you need to REPENT of and change direction in your life.

The word REPENT means to turn in the direction you were headed; change the way we did something or the direction we are thinking of proceeding. [See Footnote [i].]

Remember always, the Holy Spirit is CONVICTING and NOT CONDEMNING us!

That’s what the enemy does.

HOLY SPIRIT is NOT going to badger or nag us about the same thing. He is going to show us the MISTAKE–laying it on our hearts to REPENT and ask for forgiveness and then… He is going to expect us to move on. He will keep on until we do something about it! That’s not “nagging,” that’s the Father’s LOVE for us.

In reflection and asking myself the question. who do I know, or don’t know today who are living in the ‘spiritual caves’ right now while shaking their fists at God?

Should I be praying that the Holy Spirit might CONVICT them to REPENTANCE?

QUESTION: “But aren’t these people really God’s enemies and if they are God’s enemies, they have to be mine too? And shouldn’t God’s enemies be put in place–PUNISHED?”

MY ENEMIES–GOD’S ENEMIES deserve to be punished!!

Well, here’s the deal.

If I rejoice when my enemy falls, I prove I’ve missed something.

You see, Jesus came to die for SINNERS. Now–are my enemies…SINNERS?

Yeah! I’m pretty sure that’s part of the reason they’re my enemies.

There’s an interesting passage of Scripture from Proverbs 24:17-18 (AMP).

[17] Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles or is overthrown. [18] Lest the Lord see it and it be evil in His eyes and displease Him, and He turns away His wrath from him [to expend Thit upon you, the worse offender].

There’s a hint given in the verses at the fact that your ENEMY is being punished for a reason.

THE REASON is this:

God is punishing your enemy so that you can show them GRACE. You see God punishes your enemies so that you can come into their lives and show them God’s LOVE for them which lends to REPENTANCE.

You and I need to be constantly reminded by God’s Spirit that we were not SAVED so we could be pampered.

We were SAVED because we were going to HELL!

We were SAVED because we didn’t stand a chance without God’s MERCY!

It’s not that God doesn’t want you to have a better life than you’d have if you didn’t become a Christian; it’s just that God has SAVED us to become something more than just self-centered and self-serving individuals.

GOD SAVED you and I–and enlisted us to be His Ambassadors (His missionaries) to a lost world. (2 Corinthians 6:20)

Now here’s the deal–you may be thinking that you are not qualified–not important enough to become a missionary–an ambassador. But if you are willing to go to the “sinner man” during their struggles and SHARE with them the LOVE of God and HOPE of His forgiveness…then you have a chance to change the world!

[26] “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? [27] For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. [28] “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming to his kingdom” (NIV Bible).

Let’s face it; we live in a world that bases our success on how much stuff we’ve accumulated.

And Jesus, on the other hand, told us that our success won’t be based on stuff.

Matthew 6:24 (AMP)

[24] “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).

So I guess what we really need to be asking ourselves each and every morning before getting our day started is “What’s really important to us?”

Are we more concerned with our bank account that the account we have with Christ Jesus?Paul said in1 Timothy 6:10,

[10] “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

And it isn’t always money.

For a lot of us, we put the stuff that money can buy ahead of our RELATIONSHIP with the Lord. And for a lot of us, it comes down to not so much how much we’ve got but what we do hang on to what we’ve got.

For some of us, even if we don’t have much, we put our relationship with the Lord on the back burner in the pursuit of the almighty dollar. We live in a material world that shoves it down our throats by having the latest and greatest.

We want more, more, more!!!

Yet we fail to hear the Lord’s words of wisdom on how we handle our STUFF.

Read what He says…, Matthew 16:26 (a)

“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

What we need to remember, and I don’t want to ever take things from Scripture out of context if I can help it, that this particular sentence was spoken AFTER Jesus encouraged us to deny ourselves of worldly pleasures, take up our crosses and follow Him.

He was asking us what would it matter if we had everything of earthly value in our possession; what if we had everything we ever wanted? What if we never wanted for anything because we already had everything there was to have?

And we were still locked out of Heaven.

If we could have it all and do nothing but seek the pleasures of this world we would still be waiting in the end.

Because if our SOUL was lost, we couldn’t and wouldn’t find anything to replace it.

You lose it, it’s gone forever!

You lose it to Hell and it’s lost forever!!!!

Even so, we as the Body of Christ seem to not see the importance of a person’s SOUL.

Yet Jesus wanted us to understand that we gain nothing from the world if we turn our backs on God.

YOU CAN’T PUT A PRICE ON A SOUL –

If you die with the most toys, you still die.

You can work hard all your days and have everything money can buy.

You can hold all kinds of powerful positions, awards hanging on the wall, trophies on your desk…and your portfolio will never stack up to the condition of your SOUL.

THE HUMAN SOUL will either go to HEAVEN or HELL. It will either be SAVED or LOST. There isn’t a middle ground, no exchanges, and no do-overs once we close our eyes for the last time.

Your family can’t buy your way or pray for your way out of Hell.

You can’t bargain your way out either.

You may be wondering right now as you read my words why I’m writing a blog on a subject like our souls.

You may be sitting there thinking “I’m saved, what difference does it make?”

What about those that you know who haven’t made that decision?

I wonder at times if any of you give two cents about the lost people who you know?

DOES HELL EVEN KNOW THAT YOU EXIST?

I remember the story from Acts in the Bible about the demon-possessed man who told some Christian wannabes “Jesus I know, Paul I’ve heard of. Who are you?”

When you fail to tell them about the life-changing, life-saving POWER of Jesus Christ, you’re basically telling them that it’s okay that they go to Hell!

Is that a harsh statement to make?

Matthew 16:26b – “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Jesus asked this follow-up question regarding our service or lack of it to Him.

What will you give to SAVE your soul?

What are you willing to SACRIFICE, give up?

What’s ironic here about life is this: The more we live for our own selfish needs, the more miserable we become. But the more we do for the Lord, and the more we do in His name, the happier and more satisfied we become.

Can we really put up enough for our souls?

Jesus seems to be telling us that there are many people who would rather spend their entire life pursuing gold, silver and “stuff” in this world of ours than to hear about your Jesus.

Is there anything in this world that you possess right now that can or will be a suitable payment in exchange for your SOUL?

Jesus knew ahead of time that people would wait until the last-minute and get in by the “skin of their teeth.” Who in their right mind would ever believe that this world gives us the best we can get and that’s all there is to it?

If we were to correctly answer this question, we would have to say we would give EVERYTHING in exchange for our soul!

And we should be willing to do it right now!!

And we should want to tell everyone we come in contact with!!!

And why is that?

No one is guaranteed one minute beyond now.

We could leave here this very minute and step into ETERNITY. And the truth is that so could any of your friends, neighbors, or relatives who think they’ll skate by because they’re nice and don’t bother anybody.

And a lot of those ‘nice people’ aren’t gonna make it because they’re embarrassed that someone will find out they’ve become “religious”.

Mark 8:38 says: “If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

I sometimes find myself wondering how much of my church family, and when I say “church,” I mean the greater Church, is ashamed of their relationship with Jesus Christ. A lot of self-professing Christians talk a good game on Sunday, but when it’s time to put up, they clam up!

What will you give in exchange for your soul?

Better yet, what will you give in exchange for your SAVED SOUL?

If you are SAVED, you were SAVED with time to spare.

What about that person who isn’t SAVED yet?

If living for your own selfish desires does nothing but make you miserable and unsatisfied, why not SURRENDER ALL of that and turn it all over to Christ?

EVERYTHING I do, say and experience can attribute to what He is doing in me.

I’M HIS!

HE BOUGHT ME with His blood on the Cross!

So what would I give up in exchange for my SOUL that belongs to Jesus?

EVERYTHING OF ANY VALUE!!!!

We have something much better to look forward to ~ Matthew 16:27 (AMP)

[27] For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory (majesty, splendor) of His Father with His angels, and then He will render account and reward every man in accordance with what he has done.

The same JESUS of Genesis1 is the same JESUS of John1 and Acts 1.

It was JESUS who originally said “I’ll be back,” not The Terminator.

None of us know the date and time that He shall come but the bottom line is that everyone is going to know when He gets here.

Acts 1 says: [11] “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you to heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

It will be unlike any event in human history. And those who have intentionally lived to fill their pockets and fatten their bank accounts will find themselves in a world of trouble. For all that they have won’t be enough to pay the COST for their SOUL.

On that day there will be TWO kinds of people in the world. Those who have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ and those who don’t!

The SAVED and the LOST.

There’s GOOD NEWS for you if you feel that you’re missing the mark.

We can prepare for ETERNITY now. We still have time to turn it around right now.

You may not be guaranteed one more minute but you can make a commitment to Christ for the next minute of your life right now.

It’s impossible to live a perfect life. No one can. But if I have learned nothing else in this long life of mine, over those years I’ve learned the difference between living for Jesus and living for me.

Jesus came to SEEK AND SAVE the LOST.

He commanded us to go into the world to SHARE the Good News, to witness for Christ, to disciple, baptize and teach.

A few years ago my wife gave me for Christmas one of my favorite Bible verses framed and hung on the wall over my desk as a reminder of my commitment to spreading the good news–to teach and disciple others around the world for Christ.

He will come back soon I hope. But in the meantime, what will He find us doing?

After Daniel agrees, Miyagi assigns Daniel to complete various lengthy, menial chores that appear to have nothing to do with Karate.

“WaxOn / WaxOff”

THE EPHESIANS 4:21-24 STORY – “Putting OFF / Putting ON” and the COMMITMENT Begins…

[21] assuming that you have heard about him, and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus [22] to PUT OFF your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, [23] and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, [24] and to PUT ON the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. [ English Standard Version (ESV) Bible.]

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” [Amplified Bible]

I beg to differ with a lot of Christians living in the world today saying or thinking that they can keep on LIVING the old life and claim to be a child of God.

I’ll admit it is not easy...it’s the hardest thing we have ever done.

TO SHARE THE GOSPEL,

PREACH THE GOSPEL,

TEACH THE GOSPEL,

LIVE THE GOSPEL.

The Bible says if you are SAVED by the GRACE of God, you’re a NEW CREATURE.

There is a lot of people who are hanging on to the old lifestyle; trusting in the material things and not living by the spiritual things.

Romans 6:4 says “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may liveanew life.”

Thank God We Are SERVING A Risen Savior…

And the Bible tells us that we’re supposed to WALK in the newness of life. I remember when my three children were learning to walk. My wife and I would hold our hands out across the room, encouraging to take one step, to place one foot in front of the other. As long as they could see our faces they would slowly move forward. As soon as they looked down at their feet, they lost focus and would stumble and tear up. When that occurred, I think mom and dad also teared up. But the training, the exercise, the dedication to commitment went on.

IT ISN’T EASY –

“Yes, but we all sin–we slip, we fall down and skin our knees– and fall short of God’s glory, don’twe?” We sure do. We still have the old body–the outside, but thanks be to God, we have a new man on the inside!

We sure do. We still have the old body–the outside, but thanks be to God, we have a new man on the inside!

IF we are SAVED…and we’re a NEW CREATURE, we ought to live like it, then!

I’d like to point out afew training steps in“Putting Off and PuttingOn”ANEW NATURE.

I’m not a Mr. Miyagi by any means, but here we go.

THE REQUIREMENTS OF COMMITMENT:

NUMBER ONE: We need to be FOCUSED.

There are people who will talk about everything BUT God. In church, social gatherings, sharing on social media, etc. They are worried about everything BUT God. They are not worried–not concerned–about lost souls. I don’t care if the church I’m attending has 5 or 500 members on Sunday morning or if we have carpet on the floors. We’ve got to get past all the ‘STUFF’ in the church and start focusing on putting God first and caring about lost souls.

We’ve lost our FOCUS.

It’s sad to say that there’s a lot of Christians in the world that never picks up the WORD of God, then tries to stand up and give praise to God.

You’ve got to READ God’s Word, PRAY and SEEK God’s face in all that you do. That’s what a godly or any relationship is all about. You can’t have a close relationship, an intimate relationship at a distance.

The Bible says that JESUS came to SEEK and to SAVE that which is lost. That’s what our FOCUS should be. Nothing else!

I’ve been asked over the years by some people, “Why do we even have the church?”

The answer should be, “So we can get more lost people in here so they can find salvation!”

Sure the pastors of our churches could stand on a platform and preach, and preach, and preach and you’ll get some strength from it. But if there aren’t any lost people sitting there on Sunday mornings, what are you going to do with that “strength”? What are you going to do with the wisdom of God when you get it… IF you get it?

If you are not consistently READING your Bible during the week, you can bet you’re NOT SHARING Christ either.

We’ve lost our FOCUS.

If you’re going around trying to find a place where you can fit JESUS into your life, you’re in bad shape. You have to fit your life into what Christ wants you to do. Don’t go around telling God you need to see if you can fit Him into your schedule.

Christ Jesus is my whole life!Without Him, I’m nothing!!

Several years ago, after realizing I had been playing spiritual games with people around me, I made this vow to God NOT to listen to man and just listen to Him.

Luke 14:27 says “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follows Me cannot be my disciple.”

There are more churches today than there has ever been…And there are more church goers thanthere has ever been.

BUT the Bible clearly says that the HARVEST is great but the LABORERS are few.

I see something wrong with that. Hosea in the Old Testament, chapter five, says ‘a man should go with their herds and their flocks to SEEK the Lord but they shall not find Him for he has withdrawn Himself from them.’ [Paraphrased]

I saw a marquee in front of a church, a big church, awhile back that read…

MESSAGE For SUNDAY:

HOW TO GET ALONG WITH YOUR SPOUSE

I thought, if you get close to the LORD, you’ll know how to get along with your spouse.

You’ll know how to get along with everybody!

We’ve got to stay FOCUSED on JESUS–keeping our eyes on Him.

NUMBER TWO: We need to be FAITHFUL.

John 8:31 “…If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples” (AMP).

Christians will go work at a job and be there every day to get their paycheck–and God will tell them to do something and they can’t do it.

The LORD called me to SHARE the Gospel message through a weekly blog six years ago. So I’m going to keep doing what God says to do. I’m not going to back up or slow down so others can catch up.

WE NEED TO BE FAITHFUL.

Don’t ask what you want, but ask what He wants!

NUMBER THREE: We need to be FRUITFUL in our new life.

Being FRUITFUL means you’re SAVED AND…you’re growing in the process!

It means that God’s ministry through you reaches other people and helps them the way God is helping you.

There are people who look back on their lives saying they haven’t done anything for the Lord. It doesn’t work that way. Our BLESSINGS come from our labor. That’s why a lot of people aren’t acting blessed. They aren’t doing anything!

Galatians 6:7

“Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others–ignoring God!–harvests a crop of weeds.” [MSG}

What are you planting; producing for the Lord Jesus Christ?

NUMBER FOUR: Being Friendly!

We need to be friendly in our NEW LIFE.

Some of the meanest people can be “church folks”. Whether you attend a Baptist, Assembly Of God, Independent/Bible church…YEP, we are often called the “church folks” in the community.

It’s NOT niceness that will get you into heaven…BUT IF YOU ARE NICE, God will BLESS you for it.

According to Dictionary.com, the word NICE means“pleasing; agreeable; amiably pleasant.”

We in the family of God are not supposed to have any kind of evil communication or put a stumbling block in front of our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus for them to trip over. Like a child learning to take their first steps, our SPEECH is supposed to be established with GRACE and encouragement and not condemnation.

Romans 7:6 says this: “But now that we.re no longer shackled to that domineering mate of sin, we’re free to live a new life in the freedom of God” [MSG].

And in Matthew 16:24-25, Jesus’ words, [24] “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” [NIV].

There seems to be a lot of folks more involved with themselves than they are with their Savior.

In a Discipleship Journal, Carole Mayhall tells of a woman who went to a diet center to lose weight. The director took her to a full-length mirror and on it, he outlined a figure and told her, “This is what I want you to be like at the end of the program. Days of intense dieting and exercise followed, and every week the woman would stand in front of the mirror, discouraged because her bulging outline didn’t fit the director’s ideal. But she kept at it, and finally one day she conformed to the longed for image [Daily Bread, August 8, 1990].

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU LOOKED AT THE IMAGE IN THE MIRROR?______________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you remember that moment when you were first SAVED; became a Christian, accepted JESUS as your Lord and Savior?

I remember not only the “moment”, on August 15th, 1972, I remember the next day, the next week after. I wanted, I had to share with everyone I came in contact with, what had happened in my life. I sure the people who knew me were thinking, “Yeah, sure things are different in his life. We’ll see.”

I had no idea what “evangelism” was, nor was I familiar with the Bible; although I knew ‘about’ the book, but never read it.

Bubbling Springs

There seemed like there was a fountain of living water, like a fresh water spring bubbling up and flowing out of me. So much so, a young woman who sat next to me in the office, came to Christ that same week from the ‘bubbling over’ , the JOY, the exuberance of my spirit!

I’m sure many of you who are reading my story could share similar conversion stories.

So, what happened? What happened to all the JOY, the EXUBERANCE we once demonstrated in front of others?

I’ll tell you what has happened, you STOPPED DRINKINGthe Fountain of Life!

YOU NEED ANOTHER DRINK!

You stopped eating The Bread of Life!

YOU NEED TO EAT!

ISAIAH 55:1-2 (NIV Bible):

“COME, ALL you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”

ISAIAH 12:2-6 (AMP Bible):

[2] “Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and song; yes, He has become my salvation. [3] Therefore with joy will you draw water from the wells of salvation. [4] And in that day you will say, Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name and by means of His name [in solemn entreaty]; declare and make known His deeds among the peoples of the earth, proclaim that His name is exalted! [5] Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done excellent things [gloriously]; let this be made known to all the earth. [6] Cry aloud and shout joyfully, you women and inhabitants of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

MATTHEW 5:6 (AMP Bible):

“Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied!”

An Old Testament Scenario Keeps Repeating Itself –

Over and over we read in the Book of Judges, “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD.”

We LEARN from reading of the Book of Judges, Jews repeatedly fell in a cycle of SIN–

A CRY FOR HELP–OUTWARD REPENTANCE–DELIVERANCE THROUGH A JUDGE–A TIME OF PEACE–BACK TO SIN AGAIN.

The Book of Ruth starts out, “IN THE days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land.”

Why was there a FAMINE in the land? The reason for the famine in the land was because of SIN in the land!

Pausing and reflecting on what JESUS said to the Samaritan woman in verse 10:

“If you had only known and had recognized God’s gift and Who this is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him [instead] and He would have given you living water.”

*If you want to satisfy your thirst, you must ask for it; you must be earnest in PRAYER to God for it.

Those who have the right knowledge of Christ Jesus will continually seek Him out, and if we fail to seek Him, it is a sign that we don’t know Him.

Psalm 9:10:

And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who SEEK YOU…

Then JESUS continues speaking in verses 13 and 14:

“All who drink of THIS WATER will be thirsty again, But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life

“Obey your thirst!”

All of us church know, we have access to this spring of living water. But we’ve got to continually drink from the fountain! If we don’t, we’ll find ourselves as the man in the introductory image of this blog.

It’s not enough to LIVE on our past experiences with JESUS; not enough to know the ‘spring of water’ is there; it’s not enough to drink once from the fountain of life!

Church, it’s time to get another drink! It is time for all of us to get another drink of the Holy Spirit!

“If anyone is thirsty”

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water'” (John 7:37-38 NAS).

Then John the Apostle explains what JESUS meant by His words (verse 39):

“But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Back to the Woman at the Well –

John 4:19-26:

[19] The woman said to Him, “Sir, I see and understand that You are a prophet. [20] Our forefathers worshipped on this mountain, but you [Jews] say that Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary and proper to worship.” [21] Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither [merely] in this mountain nor [merely] in Jerusalem. [22] You [Samaritans] do not know what you are worshipping [you worship what you do not comprehend]. We do know what we are worshipping [we worship what we have knowledge of and understand], for [after all] salvation comes from [among] the Jews. [23] A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. [24] God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).” [25] The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming, He Who is called the Christ (the Anointed One); and when He arrives, He will tell us everything we need to know and make it clear to us.” [26] Jesus said to her, “I Who now speak with you am He.”

The lights are beginning to turn on for the Samaritan Woman –

She recognizes JESUS as a prophet because He had supernatural insight into her personal life, exposing SIN.

The next thing she does is to bring up the issue of multiple religions and whose right.

When we’ve ‘WITNESSED’ to people, they frequently bring up this topic: They say something like, “There are lots of RELIGIONS in the world, what makes your religious beliefs the only one? Who’s to say you are right and they are wrong?”

Then they will usually say something like, “I believe there are good things to be gained from ALL religions and that no one religion has the exclusive rights to eternity.”

How then, should we handle this question?

The same way JESUS did!

THE ARGUMENT–Samaritans vs. Jews (John 4:20):

The stated comment in verse 20highlights the fact that altars were built at Mt. Gerizim [Abraham – Genesis 12:7; Jacob – Genesis 33:20].

Mt. Gerizim was the scene of THE BLESSING of the people (Deut. 27:4); with the tradition that Abraham’s offering of his son Isaac took place on this mountain. Also, where Abraham met Melchizedek at. No wonder this was an issue of heated conversation.

How does JESUS handle it?

He simply refuses to be drawn into the argument. Instead, He predicts that a time is coming when worship will be possible in neither place.

The Samaritan woman appealed to the example of “our fathers” but JESUS points her to the one Father.

JESUS IS CALLING…

What JESUS is calling this woman at the well to do–and also calling us to do, is to learn to WORSHIP the True God, our heavenly Father–not at a particular place, but in spirit and truth.

We must be careful not to consider it WORSHIP just because who showed up on Sunday, Saturday and other days of the week.

Just because we went into a building designated for worship doesn’t mean we worshiped.

We need to LEARN to worship in “SPIRIT and TRUTH.” This means we need to come into God’s presence with complete sincerity and complete honesty.

The OPPOSITE of “TRUTH” –

You can’t lie your way into the presence of God and expect to get away with it:

IF YOU want God to touch you?

IF YOU want God to feed you?

IF YOU want God to satisfy your thirst?

IF YOU want God to move supernaturally in your life?

IF YOU want to bring spiritual excitement back into your life?

IF YOU simply want more God?

Then you NEED to get right with God!

No more “fake it till you make it”approaches to your WORSHIP. You need to confess your sins, change your lifestyle.

If you do WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH and you want more of God, then choose to seek His face.

If you find yourself today in a ‘spiritual wilderness’ and you are thirsty…there’s hope!

The fountain is flowing and I don’t know where you are right now in your spiritual life, but for me and my house…“Whew, I need another drink of water!”

John gave further evidence, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it dwelt on Him–not to depart.”

WHERE TO START? 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 (NIV).

[1] WHEN I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. [2] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. [4] My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, [5] so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. [6] We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age, who are coming to nothing. [7] No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. [8] None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. [9] However, as it is written:

“No eye has seen,

no ear has heard,

no mind has conceived

what God has prepared for those who love him” —

[10]but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. [11] For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. [12] We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. [13] This is what we speak, not in words taught to us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

[14] The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

[15] The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:

[16] “For who has known the mind of the Lord

that he may instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.

He is More than a Ghost–Verse 14 tells us so!

More than a “GHOST” – HE HAS A HISTORY OR “BEING”:

Let me give you an insert I came across in my detective investigation this past week:

Denying the personality of the Holy spirit. In their denial of the Trinity, Jehovah Witnesses deny the personality of the Holy Spirit. They claim that “the holy spirit is the invisible active force of Almighty God which moves his servants to do his will.” To a Witness, the Spirit is a mere impersonal force similar to electricity. [from A Guide to Cults & New Religions by Ronald Enroth & Others; page 109].

Non-believers have…

1. Resisted – “This man without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God.”

2. Ridiculed – “For they are foolishness to him.”

3. Misunderstood – “And he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

It is completely understandable that of the Trinity; the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit–we are the least knowledgeable of the “Person” and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

My wife and I had decided to join a church fellowship in a new community we had moved into. The church required that those who DESIRED to become members, must go through a “New Membership Class” conducted by the senior pastor. At the end of the classes, there was a QUESTION & ANSWER time. Not being a shy person, I raised my hand and asked, “Why don’t we talk more about the Holy Spirit in church, is there a REASON?” After a brief pause by the pastor…”Well, we probably should mention the third Person of the Trinity more often…but I guess the reason might be that ‘certain’ denominational churches have over-emphasized the Spirit, others have backed away.”

I thought, where did that reasoning come from–who told you that and how can a Christian “over-emphasize” Holy Spirit? That explanation didn’t set right in my spirit and two years later…I swallowed the “RED PILL” and the attributes of the Spirit began to become more personal, more real, more visible [*See “Taking the Red Pill” at the top of my Blog-site].

“Who is the Holy Spirit?”

Simple answer is…the Holy Spirit is GOD!

The Proof–

If you look at the Scripture passage given in 1 Corinthians 2, we see the words of GOD and Spirit are interchangeable or one in the same. For example; verse 4 and 5, we see the Spirit’s Power is also called GOD’S POWER.

“[4] And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. [5] I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God” (New Living Translation).

In verse 11, we see the very thoughts of GOD are the very thoughts of the Spirit:

“For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (New International Version).

The SECOND THING we need to be seeing–

The Holy Spirit is NOT some impersonal force as some cults claim.

HE SPEAKS TO US (verses 9-10).

HE SEARCHES ALL THINGS (verse 10).

HE KNOWS THE THOUGHTS OF GOD (verse 11).

HE TEACHES US WHAT GOD HAS FREELY GIVEN US (verse 13): “And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].”

What Does the Holy Spirit Do?

He EMPOWERS US to share our testimony or as some Bible translations say, “our witness”. (verses 1-5)–

As the WORD DETECTIVE, when I come across words Christians almost flippantly use, we’ve perhaps lost the meanings of…and I began the search there.

In First Corinthians, Chapter 2, verse one, we come to the word “testimony” or “witness”. Turning to Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, I proceeded to look up the two words and their definitions. I found the English Word, “testimony”, comes from the Greek Word “maturion” or “marturia”, where we also get the English Word MARTYR from.

The word MARTYR can be defined as “a person who is killed because of their beliefs: “she was martyred for her faith.”

So, with that definition in mind, to give your testimony to someone or to witness in your neighborhood gives us an entirely different perspective. To me anyhow. “Am I willing to be “martyred” to give my testimony?” Are you?

Vine’s says, that a “… witness or testimony refers to the fact that the missionaries besides proclaiming the truths of the gospel, had borne witness to the POWER of these truths.”

As unlikely as it may seem, the apostle Paul experienced all of the same difficulties we face in sharing OUR FAITH:

In Verse One, he was not eloquent nor did he have superior wisdom.

In Verse Three, he confesses he came to them in weakness, fear and much trembling.

Can you see that Paul could identify we every objection, excuses we have in not sharing our faith with others? It is only because you and I are NOT QUALIFIED that we are given the Spirit’s POWER to share the gospel with others. I like an old saying that was given to me in a Evangelism Training class years ago: “You don’t go out witnessing, you witness as you go!” BUT, do we?

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (Verse 4).

If we can only believe verse 4, it will set us free to share our faith and the demonstration of the POWER of the Holy Spirit.

“What do we say?”

Not feeling qualified would be one of the biggest objections in sharing our faith. And, “What to say in our testimony” might be another objection.

We have to be careful that we don’t make the mistake of putting something else at the center of our testimony–our witness. The most important thing to share with someone is what God has done for us. God has done a lot for you and I but we see in verse 2, Paul gives us the answer of the most important thing God has done for us!

“For I resolved to know nothing while I was

with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

According to the Apostle Paul, the crucifixion of His Son Jesus for our sins is the most important thing:

“But God shows and clearly proves His love for us

by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Is it really that simple, to just say, “Christ Jesus was crucified on a Cross; died for your sins and mine? Yes, it’s that simple!

The Holy Spirit Empowers Us to Share Our Faith–

1. We have seen that despite the fact we’re not qualified, He wants to EMPOWER US!

2. We have seen that the most important thing to share with others is that Christ Jesus was crucified for their sins.

Before I move on to the next point, I want to direct you to another part of SHARING YOUR FAITH.

“What is the GOAL of SHARING? And how do we know when someone is SAVED?”

“so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (Verse 5).

EVERYONE is resting their FAITH on something but not everyone is resting their FAITH on the right thing. Looking back over my Christian life, the biggest thing I’ve found in sharing JESUS with people is that they rest their faith on their own good works.

A person is SAVED only when they rest their faith on the historical fact that JESUS DIED for their sins on the Cross.

“We all like sheep have gone astray but

He has laid on Him the sins of the world.”

1. The Holy Spirit empowers us to share our testimony (Verses 1-5).

2. The Holy Spirit helps to bring us to Christian Maturity (Vs. 16).

“We do, however speak a message of wisdom among the mature…”

I am going to break at this point in the study and continue in PART TWO of The “THIRD PERSON” is more than a Ghost! I will begin with a question for you to ponder: “WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF CHRISTIAN MATURITY?”

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I am a strong believer in God's Word. John 18:37 JESUS "came into the world to bear witness to the TRUTH". Then He goes on to say that "Everyone who is of the TRUTH [the WORD] hears and listens to My voice." Since I am a friend of the TRUTH and belong to the TRUTH, I hear His voice through the Spirit of Truth; the Holy Spirit. That is the reason I became the WORD detective. To share the TRUTH I find in the Word. Through my experiences as a believer and to find results in our everyday circumstances. I am a TRUTH-SEEKER!